This Week’s Influencer: Oxford Road CEO’s State of Advertising Address; Taylor Swift’s Podcast Debut; Nielsen’s Annual Podcast Report, + More

This week on Media Roundtable, we’re bringing you the inside story straight from the 2025 Chief Audio Officer Summit, where the people shaping the future of podcasting and audio advertising gathered to ask one big question: Where do we go from here?

This episode is a recording of Dan Granger’s keynote presentation of Oxford Road’s annual State of Audio Advertising report, which gave attendees the answer.

The free report is available too–download it now for the full experience.

In his address, Dan touches on the industry’s most pressing topics—attribution, fragmentation, and the rise of video—calling marketers to mobilize around standards that unlock growth. He introduces new data from Oxford Road’s upcoming “What Brands Want” survey, challenges assumptions about channel spend versus consumption, and gives Chief Audio Officers in attendance a road map for the year ahead.

“When we define the medium, we can align on metrics. And when we align on metrics, we can unlock scale.” – Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road

Metric Mayhem: From promo codes and pixels to clean rooms and walled gardens, attribution is all over the map. The result: inflated costs, missed investment opportunities, and frustrated marketers.

The YouTube Effect: With 25% of U.S. podcast consumption happening on YouTube, the dynamic is shifting between platforms. For advertisers, it’s both a gift (scale) and a hazard (measurement headaches).

Uncluttered Advantage: Compared to TV and social, podcasts remain cost-effective and relatively ad-light, making them one of the best buys in media.

To catch up on all the groundbreaking revelations and strategies from CAO ‘25, click the play button on one of the links below.

Download the full report here

The Classifieds

Embracing “Because” Instead of “Why?”

Network: Realm / Monthly Downloads: 1.5m

Leadership is an evolving discipline that many people struggle to perfect. Mick Hunt has been on a path to propel others forward through the power of purpose. Hunt grew multiple businesses and graced the Forbes Business Council before writing his bestselling book How to Be a Good Leader. In his chart-topping Leadership podcast from Realm, Hunt drills down on important topics related to a variety of sectors such as entertainment, medicine, politics, and sports. Hunt advocates for finding the fuel that you need to accomplish any goal and be the best leader you can be. Both DR and high-reach brands are taking significant notice of this podcast’s messaging and have come out in droves to test in recent months. For anyone looking for self-improvement-based Business, Education, or Mental Health opportunities, this is a must-test for Q4. For more information, lead yourself to the link below.

Get The Deal

Psalms & Syrups

Network: Audacy / Monthly Downloads: 35k

Audio is consistently linked to intimate vulnerability, so it makes sense that we hear a lot of religious podcasts that contain raw truths. Ally Yost has been building a close following through her TikTok, (currently sitting at an astounding 2.1 million followers) by documenting her conversion to Christianity and subsequent glow-up. In both her social media and podcast, Yost provides a brand of level-headed compassion and vulnerability that resonates strongly with her audience. Whether she’s espousing gratitude or providing guidance for those starting their own journeys, Yost continually strives to do her best. Since premiering in 2023, the show has partnered with DR advertisers that align with life changes, especially employment, education, and marriage. If you’re a female-skewed brand that aligns with a value-oriented consumer base, this is an excellent opportunity to explore during your next test period. I’ll take cream, two sugars, and a slice of the link below, please!

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

It’s Tay Tay’s World, We Just Live Here

Swifties across the podcast world finally got their wish–Taylor finally appeared on New Heights–and it might just be one for the ages. She shared personal stories, announced her 12th album (The Life of a Showgirl), and in just 24 hours, garnered 11.7M YouTube views, 400M+ social clip views, 3,000% Spotify listener spike, and doubled the show’s female audience share. Oh, and don’t forget, demand crashed the livestream. This was another masterclass in marketing from Miss Swift. Mirroring what we saw with the “Podcast Election”, Taylor’s decision to use a podcast to promote her album release shows the growing cultural impact of the medium in shaping narratives and driving MASSIVE reach. This “showgirl” still knows how to dazzle, whether it’s in a bejeweled bodysuit or a podcasting studio.

Radio Discovers Local Content is Important

An article in RadioInk highlights how local radio operators across the U.S. are defying headwinds by focusing on community connections, local content, and multiplatform ad packages. The strength of local media—and make no mistake, radio is a local medium by a wide margin—is its content and connection to the region. The fact that this is news in an industry trade publication is equal parts telling and alarming about the current state of terrestrial radio.

Nielsen Drops Its Annual Podcast Report

Nielsen’s latest “Podcasting Today” report reveals steady U.S. audience growth, with multicultural and Gen Z listenership expanding rapidly. Among the 18-34 segment, podcasts now represent 32% of ad-supported listening, with podcasts continuing to outperform other channels on recall and engagement. Nielsen’s report echoes Edison’s report shared last week—the podcast landscape is becoming increasingly diverse! CAOs, this report provides valuable insights, and it’s no wonder podcasting is seeing a surge in spend. Growth isn’t slowing down; it’s becoming more multifarious.

Adios, Language Learning Anxiety!

The Anxiety Coaches are back as Gina Ryan delivers this week’s #STLR, featuring the perfect tool to avoid those cringe-worthy moments when your foreign language skills are no bueno—Babbel! We’ve all felt that panic of traveling somewhere and not knowing the language, but Gina keeps it light and funny while introducing Babbel as the easy fix. Her gentle, soothing demeanor makes language learning feel approachable instead of intimidating. While sharing her own story about learning Spanish, she embeds warmth and authenticity throughout the read, making the ad feel more like advice from a trusted friend than a sales pitch. Highlighting Babbel’s practical, real-world lessons shows listeners it’s something they can stick with—and wrapping it up with a significant 55% discount makes hitting “sign up” feel like a total no-brainer, or una buena opción. Listen below and hear for yourself. ¡Disfruta la escucha!

Listen Here

OXFORd In The News

Oxford Road Cracks YT Measurement

Everyone in podcasting has been asking the same question: How do you measure YouTube podcast ads when the platform won’t let you? Influencer readers and CAOs already know, Oxford Road just answered it at last month’s CAO event. Numerous industry publications are mentioning this breakthrough, including Inside Radio, Ads of Brands, Podcast News Daily, Podcasting Today, and Roastbrief. By teaming up with Media IDentity Graph (MIDG), we built a way to measure ads inside YouTube’s walled garden (without peeking over the fence). The research shows YouTube podcast audiences skew younger, male, and a bit less diverse—different from the classic audio crowd. Bottom line: this is the first real proof that YouTube podcast ads deliver, and it could push the industry toward finally standardizing podcast ad measurement across all mediums.

MRT Named “Must-Listen Podcast About Podcasts”

We’re thrilled that our own Media Roundtable was featured in Podglomerate’s exclusive list of “18 Must-Listen Podcasts About Podcasts”—a curated celebration of the best shows exploring the craft, the industry, and the future of podcasting. This shout-out isn’t just recognition—it’s validation. Oxford Road’s MRT inclusion underscores our role not only as sharers of measurement innovation and thought leadership (like our “What Is a Podcast?” white paper with Edison Research)—but also as champions of deeper conversations that propel the podcasting ecosystem forward. Thanks to Podglomerate for spotlighting voices that help the medium grow smarter.

Wondery’s Recalibration is a Turning Point

In the latest Podnews Weekly Review, hosts James Cridland and Sam Sethi unpacked Amazon’s sweeping restructure of Wondery, choosing to separate their audio and video business. Dan Granger’, CEO of Oxford Road, framed the move as a strategic recalibration toward an integrated audio ecosystem, highlighting how the industry must adapt to shifting listener behavior. The episode also spotlighted Patreon’s $10B creator milestone, Spotify’s new UK age-verification rules, and Riverside’s expansion into hosting—cementing Oxford Road’s role as a thought leader driving the conversation on where podcasting goes next.

If you’ve read this far, thank you!

The Influencer is a production from the team at Oxford Road.
If you like our sometimes sassy, mostly informed POVs on the wonderful world of audio advertising, you should see what we do for our clients.

Interested in seeing how we could help your business?
Contact us at influencer@oxfordroad.com!

Thank you to the team that puts The Influencer together each week:

Ezra Fox – Media Roundtable & Ad Infinitum recap
Spencer Semonson – Classifieds
Neal Lucey – In Case You Missed It
Hannah Lloyd – Save The Live Reads

Editors:
Kyle Jelinek
Kristen Larson
Haley Wiese